green. Having captured trains and destroyed the roads sufficiently between those points, they will unite at a given point and proceed toward Pollard, doing such damage to the road as may be necessary to render it useless to the rebels. There is at present only one boat here to transport the cavalry to Creigler's Mills, and it may occupy two or three days, but I think will be no disadvantage, as the rest of my command will move toward Pollard and attract the attention of the rebels from the movements of Spurling. I shall make use of the balance of the cavalry to threaten different points and bewilder the enemy as much as possible. It is possible that Spurling may be so hard pressed that he cannot join me near Pollard, and be obliged to return by a circuitous route, but he will endeavor to communicate with me. It is probable that the enemy is looking out for some such movement as this, but Spurling will have excellent guides, and he is well acquainted with the country himself. I will communicate with headquarters while on the march by means of spies, if possible, and will write you again from Pensacola. Very respectfully, colonel, your obedient servant, F. STEELE, P. S.-The Escambia is navigable to Pollard for boats of light draft, and the pilot of the Matamoras is well acquainted with the river. F. S. HDQRS. MILITARY DIVISION OF WEST MISSISSIPPI, Lieut. Col. C. T. CHRISTENSEN, Asst. Adjt. Gen., Military Division of West Mississippi: COLONEL: I have the honor to submit to your cousideration the following report of information received at this office this 18th day of March, 1865: Capt. J. S. Curtiss reports from Vicksburg, Miss., under date of the 13th instant, that the latest information of the Confederate forces in Mississippi is that Forrest, with 6,000 cavalry, was on his way to Tupelo, Miss. Ross was at Benton, Miss., with about 400 men, partly dismounted. Wood was at Raymond with a brigade of cavalry, about 600 strong. Starke's brigade, about 600 strong, was between Jackson and Meridian. The above-mentioned forces were all ordered to Tupelo to meet a raid supposed to be coming from Memphis into Central Mississippi. Information received to-day from the Red River country is simply confirmatory of previous reports that everything is quiet. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Major, Tenth U. S. Colored Heavy Artillery. (In absence of Capt. S. M. Eaton, chief signal officer, Military Divis ion of West Mississippi.) GENERAL FIELD ORDERS, No. 2. HDQRS. 13TH ARMY CORPS, The following-named officers are on duty at these headquarters in the positions named, and will be obeyed and respected accordingly: Capt. F. W. Emery, U. S. Volunteers, assistant adjutant-general; Capt. John C. Palfrey, Corps of Engineers, assistant inspector general and chief engineer; Capt. A. N. Shipley, U. S. Army, chief quartermaster; Capt. S. A. Cobb, U. S. Volunteers, chief commissary of subsistence; Capt. George W. Fox, Twenty-sixth New York Battery, chief of artillery; Capt. J. J. Williamson, One hundred and twenty-eighth New York Volunteers, chief of ordnance; Capt. James B. Ludwick, Signal Corps, U. S. Army, chief signal officer; Surg. C. B. White, U. S. Volunteers, medical director; Maj. W. W. Todd, Seventy-sixth Illinois Volunteers, acting assistant inspector-general; Capt. Samuel Lappin, U. S. Volun teers, assistant quartermaster; Capt. H. G. Palfrey, Ninety-eighth U. S. Colored Infantry, acting engineer; Capt. D. P. Ballard, Twentythird Iowa Volunteers, chief of ambulance corps; Acting Staff Surg. L. F. Humeston, U. S. Army, acting medical inspector. Aides-decamp-Capt. William L. Avery, U. S. Volunteers; First Lieut. C. S. Sargent, Second Louisiana Volunteers. GORDON GRANGER, HDQRS. SECOND DIVISION, THIRTEENTH ARMY CORPS, Capt. JOHN F. LACEY, Pensacola, Fla., March 18, 1865. Assistant Adjutant-General, Barrancas, Fla.: CAPTAIN: I have the honor to state that if two more companies of the Second Maine Cavalry can be spared from Barrancas it will, in my opinion, be a benefit to the service to have them here. It is necessary to have a cavalry picket on the main road leading out from here and men are required daily as escorts to Barrancas and back for teams, &c. The escort that went down to Barrancas yesterday for ambulances has not returned and it is necessary to send another this morning to that place. I desired to-day to go out to reconnoiter the roads, but have not a sufficient escort. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, C. C. ANDREWS, Brigadier-General, Commanding. SPECIAL ORDERS,} HDQRS. SIXTEENTH ARMY CORPS, * III. The Twenty-sixth Indiana Infantry will immediately join its command in the field near Mobile. The quartermaster's department will furnish transportation. IV. The Thirty-third Illinois Infantry will immediately rejoin its division in the field near Mobile, leaving one company with the transportation of the division as a guard. The quartermaster's department will furnish transportation. V. The Twenty-first Missouri Veteran Volunteer Infantry will immediately rejoin its division in the field near Mobile, leaving one company as a guard with the transportation of the division. The quartermaster's department will furnish transportation. * By command of Maj. Gen. A. J. Smith: * J. HOUGH, Major and Assistant Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS SIXTEENTH ARMY CORPS, Capt. J. W. LOWELL, Chief of Artillery, Sixteenth Army Corps: CAPTAIN: The major-general commanding directs that your command be in readiness to embark at an early hour to-morrow, taking no ammunition except the extra caissons. The command should have five days' rations and forage, the forage to be stored at place of debarkation until transportation can be procured. Take one wagon if possible for forage. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, J. HOUGH, Major and Assistant Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS SIXTEENTH ARMY CORPS, Brig. Gen. J. MCARTHUR, Dauphin Island, Ala., March 18, 1865. Commanding First Division, Sixteenth Army Corps: The major-general commanding directs that you have your command in readiness to embark on transports at an early hour to-morrow, taking five days' rations, forty rounds of cartridges per man in cartridgeboxes, and sixty rounds per man more will be placed on board the transports and securely stored at the place of debarkation until transportation can be procured. You will take one ambulance to each regiment and the two wagons for ammunition if possible, and a wagon for hospital purposes for the division, the pioneer wagon and the tool wagon for each brigade. Everything else to be left here in charge of men unfit for field service, if sufficient can be found to properly protect the same from being plundered. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, J. HOUGH, Major and Assistant Adjutant-General. (Same to Brig. Gen. K. Garrard, commanding Second Division, Sixteenth Army Corps, and Brig. Gen. E. A. Carr, commanding Third Division, Sixteenth Army Corps.) HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF WEST FLORIDA, Lieut. Col. C. T. CHRISTENSEN, Asst. Adjt. Gen., Army and Division of West Mississippi: COLONEL: I have the honor to report that in obedience to orders received I have turned over to Major-General Steele's command the Eighty-second and Eighty-sixth U. Š. Colored Infantry Regiments and all the mounted men of the Second Maine and First Florida Cavalry. My command is thus reduced to the Twenty-fifth U. S. Colored Infantry garrisoning the forts, and to the dismounted men of the Second Maine and First Florida Cavalry, by far not sufficient to provide properly for my long-extended picket-line and the daily details for fatigue duty with the quartermaster's and commissary departments, which at present are unusually heavy. The line of fortifications extending from Fort Barrancas to the beach and to the redoubt is left unfinished; the com pleted line from the redoubt to the bayou unguarded and the mounted guns without men to serve them. The within order* of Major-General Steele states that the last regiment of General Lucas' command arriving will report to me and remain at this post. I would respectfully request that the commanding officer of that regiment be ordered accordingly, as I have no mounted men left in my command. Very respectfully, colonel, your obedient servant, ASBOTH, Brigadier-General, Commanding. CIRCULAR, HDQRS. FIRST DIV., U. S. COLORED TROOPS, The troops of this command will march to-morrow morning at 5.30. Reveille will be at 4 o'clock. The order of march by brigades will be Third, Second, First. For this day's march the march will be by brigade, each brigade being followed by its own transportation. Captain Purnell, assistant quartermaster, will furnish extra teams to lighten the loads for this day's march, as follows: Three wagons to each regiment; one wagon to each brigade headquarters. The command will proceed to Pensacola via the beach road. In crossing the bayou near Gun-boat Point the men will take off their shoes and whatever other clothing may be necessary to keep them dry. The troops will ford by company front. A staff officer from these headquarters will designate the locality of the fording. Great caution will be observed that the men do not allow their ammunition to become wet. A messenger will be sent to Captain Purnell in the morning to get the teams when wanted. By order of Brig. Gen. J. P. Hawkins: SAML. B. FERGUSON, GENERAL ORDERS, HDQRS. FIRST BRIG., FIRST DIV., No. 3. U. S. COLORED TROOPS, Barrancas, Fla., March 18, 1865. First Lieut. George Mahaffey, Twenty-fifth U. S. Colored Troops, having reported to these headquarters in compliance with Special Orders, No. 4, is hereby assigned to duty as acting assistant adjutantgeneral, and will be obeyed and respected accordingly. By order of Brig. Gen. William A. Pile: J. W. WELLS, Lieutenant and Aide-de-Camp. HDQRS. CAV. FORCES, MIL. DIV. OF WEST MISSISSIPPI, Brig. Gen. JOSEPH F. KNIPE, New Orleans, La., March 18, 1865. Commanding Cavalry Division: GENERAL: I herewith send you an order for the embarkation of your command for Fort Gaines. The general commanding directs me to say * See Lacey to Asboth, 17th, p. 17. that two steamers-the Calhoun and Corinthian-each with capacity for about ninety horses, will be at Chalmette to-morrow afternoon at 2 o'clock. You will hold your command in readiness to load the vessels as they are furnished without unnecessary delay. The general further directs that you embark Colonel Johnson's brigade first, in order to give Colonel Kargé as much time as possible to concentrate and refit. his command. Captain Perkins, assistant quartermaster, at the foot of Common street, is master of transportation, and reports that he will be able to take from 200 to 500 horses daily. The ten days' rations and forage should, as far as possible, be sent upon the vessels with the troops. Use all possible dispatch in sending the regiments which are ordered up the river to their destination. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, S. L. WOODWARD, Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General. [MARCH 19, 1865.-For Grant to Halleck, relating to Washburn's command on the Mississippi, see Vol. XLVIII, Part I, p. 1214.] Maj. Gen. G. H. THOMAS, CITY POINT, VA., March 19, 1865-12 m. Knoxville, Tenn.: If Stoneman has not got off on his expedition, start him at once with whatever force you can give him. He will not meet with opposition now that cannot be overcome with 1,500 men. If I am not much mistaken, he will be able to come within fifty miles of Lynchburg. U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-General. WASHINGTON, D. C., March 19, 1865—11.30 a. m. Major-General THOMAS, Nashville: Probably General Canby's orders were issued before he received War Department General Orders, No. 21. Of course you will give General Washburn such instructions in regard to his cavalry as you may deem proper. H. W. HALLECK, Major-General and Chief of Staff. CHICKASAW, ALA., March 19, 1865. Maj. Gen. G. H. THOMAS: J. H. WILSON, |